I assume there must be a connection between a lot of AFOLS loving castle and perhaps having some form of college/University level qualification? So basically I am asking who am here has studied history/archaeology etc? I have a degree in Classics and Archaeology myself and I am guessing that Heir of the Black Falcon definitely has some sort of qualification as he certainly knows a lot

Or if you want to know what peoples experiences of studying these subjects are then I suppose you should post in this thread too?

Bluesecrets wrote:Well...the most I have studied any history was in school...I had other things on my mind...with a few exceptions...Ancient Egyptian, Greek, some Roman..not much..and a little Medieval.

I'm in the same boat I've had history in school plus I have been heavily fascinated by the greek and roman mythology as well as the history of medieval times - read plenty books, seen plenty castles, etc

Well, I have a MA in Medieval History (my Master's thesis focused on Byzantium and Bulgaria in the early 10th century and my Bachelor's on Swedish Franciscans in the 15th century) and a BA in Latin, where I wrote my thesis on a medieval (Norman, early 11th century) manuscript.

I have a BA (Hons) in Humanities and Art History, and while that covered a vast period of time, the medieval period wasnt really touched on in depth. Lots of European romanticism/enlightenment in the 18th/19th centuries though!

richardanthonyc wrote:Do any of you use your qualification for your current job?

Sorry about the late reply, I'm in Venice for an intensive course (of Armenian of all things) right now, and don't have so much access to the Net. Anyway, I do use my qualifications, the last few years I've been teaching Latin (along with some Greek) at the university, and in a year or so I'll probably start doing my PHD on a medieval subject.

And to drag this topic into the world of LEGO, I've been thinking about illustrating some of the things I've been doing research on with LEGO, maybe you'll see something later in the autumn when I get back to my collection..

Hi Guys. I don't believe most [or many] AFOLs have any degrees or formal qualifications in medieval history/archaeology. Myself ? Passed both Ancient 3 and Modern History 3 at Matriculation level 1970 in Tasmania, Australia. Matriculation is pre University level here. My interest in things medieval developed over several decades. Interest in castles, Robin Hood, knights Templar etc. I was a member of Society' Creative Anachronisms and also made chain mail, clothing etc. I'm retired and now 60 years old and striving to live simply, sustainably, mindfully .

I don't use my "medieval knowledge" to make a living as such. But my knowledge of things medieval involves such things as wanting to build castles or follow others who are doing this; join LCC and have fun with MOCs, story telling and discussions of thing medieval. For me, the attraction [of med' life] is the simplicity and struggle to survive in a harsh world, peopled by good and bad characters. The attraction of dress up, create your own character, life threatening adventures, loyal comrades, attractive wenches and devious villains are all part it. I enjoy the fantasy where elves, orcas , dwarves, dragons, magicians etc. do exist to interact with our mini figs. Lastly, LCC has rekindled my interest in a creative, fun, challenging medieval Mini figs and Mini built world via Lego Castle bricks. Enjoy the journey :] .

Daffyd ap Owenaim small miss small , live in the moment... Outlaws [ Wolf Clan]

My historical qualifications are not nearly as steeped as most of you, but go back farther into the realm of history, much before Medieval times.

In my undergraduate studies (a B.A. in Biblical studies), I was required to take 32 hours of the Bible alone, not including over 15 hours of Biblical electives and no small amount of hours in Biblical Archaeology, Biblical Geography and much more.

My first Master's Degree (Master of Theology, M.th in Biblical Studies) really focused on the context of Biblical studies, in particularly the Old Testament, looking at 2000-300 BC.

My second Master's Degree (Master's of Divinity, M.Div) primarily focuses on the Old Testament as well, mostly Hebrew, some Aramaic, and a little Greek. The specialization is in Old Testament and Hebrew with some small section devoted to Biblical Archaeology.

I plan on doing my doctoral studies (a Ph.D followed by an Ed.D) steeped in Old Testament as well. I would like the thrust of my Ph.D to be in Old Testament, but I have considered going the route of the New Testament. The Ed.D is to round out my credentials to be involved in Administration at Seminary (the highest level of educational institute in Biblical realms).

While these are not Medieval qualifications, they are certainly historical qualifications (to some extent). My passion is Hebrew and the Old Testament. I can read fluently from Hebrew, most notably, a Hebrew Old Testament.

I have spent much time in Turkey, specifically; Antakya, Izmir, and Selcuk, all to further my studies. I hope to participate in an archaeological dig next summer in Israel if able.

Hello,I have an MA in Medieval History with a thesis on the Battle of Worringen of 1288. Before that I wrote a few papers on the Battle of Poitiers, health care in medieval Brussels, and toll rights and local legislation in eastern Brabant between 1274 and 1402 (which was as boring as it sounds).

New Danarchy wrote:and toll rights and local legislation in eastern Brabant between 1274 and 1402 (which was as boring as it sounds).

That's just wonderful, in a geeky sort of way. Well, been there done that, I suppose I could say, not that particular topic but I've done some quite boring things as well, so I know your pain! Health care in Brussels seems quite interesting though. Anything you could elaborate on, without having to get too technical?

I was surprised, to say the least, to learn that there were quite a few hospitals (about a dozen or so, depending on which decade) and that some were specialised (for leprosy as an example). The number of beds (or maximum number of patients) varied a lot and depended on both the general health of the city (so more beds when there was an epidemic) and the general wealth of the inhabitants (so richer population meant less beds). Most hospitals were privately funded by patricians or the guilds although the Mayor and/or the duke of Brabant would sometimes (usually in times of hardship) sponsor. So in a primitive way it was a combination of charity and state-welfare. Some of the hospital records indicate that the diet of patients was fairly balanced and quite healthy and the cure rate seems to have been quite acceptable to high (certainly for the time). The guild hospitals also served as retirement homes for guildmembers.It seems that Brussels, not a particulary big city (Ghent was a lot bigger for example), had a large number of hospitals, both in absolute terms as well as proportionally.

I hope the above is a bit clear, if not, just ask (except for exact numbers as I would have to go through a lot of boxes to find that paper again and I am lazy )

I don't think there's a direct connection between loving the Lego Castle theme and having a higher education degree in history, any more than I think you need to be an astronautical engineer to love making space MOCs. (Admittedly, I do know the guy who designed the Curiosity rover set. Real-life NASA engineer. He's a member of my local LUG.) It's easy to be an enthusiast, even an expert enthusiast, without having your knowledge certified by academia.

In my case, I'm an editor (both fiction, which I prefer, and nonfiction, which I get paid more to do). I do have a degree in history, with a focus on intellectual trends as demonstrated in fiction and mythology (aka studying the stories cultures enjoy as a way to study said cultures), and that probably helps me, but you couldn't tell from any history papers I've ever written, much less published. You could much more easily tell it from my lectures on creative writing, at least when I get into worldbuilding techniques and the importance of research.

Sometimes you'll see connections, like what have already been pointed out here, or people like Mr. Red, a frequent con-goer in the US and Canada who's a history teacher and likes making impressive historical displays. Most of us just really like it as a hobby. And I think that's cool. I can get stodgy about accuracy sometimes, so I've occasionally needed a reminder that it's a hobby and accuracy doesn't matter as much as just having fun.

At the same time, I've also noticed that once I joined the local scene some years back, discussions of accuracy started having an effect on what was displayed. I knew a lot about what medieval life was like, and when I explained some of the choices I made in designing my displays, a few others started taking a closer look at historical details. My display is frequently focused on what the minifigures are doing, rather than on a static display. I didn't intend to tell anyone what to do, but it's really cool to see how we all influence each other. I've been influenced by so many others that it's a bit hard to believe that I've influenced them back.